When Should Men Shave Their Head? Going Bald, Styling & Hair Loss

Shaving your head clean is a bold and masculine statement. According to a US study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal, completely bald men were perceived as more masculine, dominant and even 13% stronger than their follicle-friendly counterparts.

If you’ve come here because you want to clean shave your hair because simply for the look, we salute you. However, if you’re here because you’re experiencing hair loss, we’ve got that covered.

Some might call hair loss a condition, which cause us men to suffer and needs to be treated. Consider that hair loss commonly known as “male pattern baldness” affects over two-thirds of men in the USA by the age of 35. Do you realise now that this so-called infliction is quite banal?

Do I Need To Shave My Hair Bald?

If you’re unsure as to whether you need to reach for those clippers yet, use the Norwood-Hamilton infographic below. The Norwood-Hamilton Scale was first developed by Dr James Hamilton in the 1950s.

It was designed order to establish a standardised classification system for hair loss. It was later revised by Dr O’Tar Norwood in the 1970s. Today, it is still recognised as the most complete reference for Male Pattern Baldness.

If you are experiencing balding, this chart can be consulted to asses the extent of hair loss and as a reference if you want to seek treatment via a clinic.

Bear in mind that modern treatments are often unable to truly reverse hair loss but instead halt its progress. Mild hair loss between Classes II and III can even show signs of improvement. However, from Class IV, it will be difficult to be reunited with the hair you had in your early twenties.

If you feel that you’re not ready to make the leap, that’s absolutely fine too. Any level of hair loss below and including Class IV can still be styled and quite successfully. There are a number of hairstyles that can work with and even conceal receding hairlines if those are your intentions.

What Are The Best Hairstyles For A Receding Hairline?

Choosing a hairstyle whilst taking into account signs of hair loss is a disconcerting task. You’ll look at your hair in the mirror and only notice the thinning areas and bald spots. If you’re feeling helpless, the chances are that you’ll feel the overwhelming desire to shave it all off.

If you’re not there yet, here are a few hairstyles worth trying beforehand:

Side Part: Does not conceal but when styled with conviction, exudes self-assurance (Up To Class IV All Patterns)

Buzz Cut: Does not conceal but looks good and makes hair loss more manageable (All Classes & Patterns)

Want to mix things up a bit? Facial hair adds a streak a character and exceptional style to bald men.

A serious moustache or full beard not only balances the face’s proportions after losing hair but it also demands respect. Read our full guide on beards or our moustache pages to learn more.

Is Being Bald A Style?

When you first shave your head out of obligation, you may suddenly feel void of style. Think also of all that time you’ll save in the shower and how your towel doesn’t get as wet so quickly. And bad hair days or hours in front of the bathroom mirror making sure that it’s just so? Not anymore!

Okay, small victories. After all, hair is indeed a big subject for men’s fashion and you’re missing out, right? Well, not so much. A shaved head is a conscious fashion choice for a lot of men even with a full head of hair. Look at Vin Diesel or even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who’s been bald since 2010.

These are two men with perfectly healthy heads of hair who made the conscious decision to shave. Granted, The Rock did say he chose to shave it because his hair is a cross between “an afro and hair from a Lama’s ball sac [sic].” Nevertheless, could you imagine tough guys like Bruce Willis or Mike Tyson with a full head of hair today?

Don’t give it to social pressure and try to regain lost hair. Plugs and implants may look okay but they’re not fooling anyone.

Be proud of yourself, your genes and that great uncle that you’re starting to resemble.